The document discusses narrative structure in trailers based on Todorov's theory of 5 stages: equilibrium, disruption, recognition, attempt to repair, reinstatement of equilibrium. It analyzes the trailer for the film "Taken," showing how it follows these stages by establishing the protagonist's daughter's birthday, her kidnapping in Paris disrupting the equilibrium, the father recognizing the disruption and vowing to find the kidnappers, and his attempts to repair the situation through fighting shown in the trailer.

1. Narrative structure and TheoryA trailer conventionally does not follow a linear narrative. That in a trailer the best or most entertaining bits of the beginning, middle and end will be used to make the trailer. Todorov’s theory argues that in though they do not follow a linear narrative there are still 5 stages that are most common in Trailers.

2. Todorov Theory?Todorov suggested that conventional narratives are structured in 5 stages:A state of equilibrium at the outset.A disruption of the equilibrium by some by some action.A recognition that there has been a disruption.An attempt to repair the disruption.A reinstatement of the equilibrium.

3. Todorov Theory Applied: TakenTaken a contemporary action film starring Liam Neeson.In the beginning of the trailer equilibrium is set, the main protagonist has gone to his daughters birthday party.The disruption is that the daughter tells her father she is going to Paris with a Friend.The recognition of this disruption is when on arrival in Paris and on the phone to her Father the Daughter sees her friend being kidnapped and is then kidnapped herself.

4. The recognition of this disruption is cleverly done as the daughter is on the phone to her father ( the main protagonist), He recognizes the disruption and utters “ I don’t know who you are, I don’t know what you want, if you are looking for a ransom I can tell you I do not have money, but what I do have is a particular set of skills. If you let my daughter go now that will be the end of it, but if you don’t I will look for you, I will find you, I will kill you. “Good luck”

5. The attempt to repair the damage, in the series of moving images we see the main protagonist (the father) searching and beating up lots of people.The reinstatement of this equilibrium is saved for the actual film.